Why Pool Cleaning Franchises Thrived During the Pandemic

If 2020 taught us anything, it was that you couldn’t underestimate the power of entrepreneurship and hard work. While some industries felt the weight of the pandemic looming over them, franchises in the swimming pool and spa industry continued to thrive when COVID-19 surged. Why? Because there are holistic fail-safes that come with owning a swimming pool cleaning franchise.

Let us explain a bit further.

No Evidence of Water Transmission

Over a year after news of the pandemic spread and almost all industries were mandated to shut down operations, scientists now better understand the virus and its transmission patterns, including which environments put people at risk of contracting COVID-19. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found no evidence that the virus can spread through natural and human-made bodies of water, including swimming pools, spas, oceans, lakes, etc. In fact, the CDC says, “pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds with proper chlorine or bromine levels and pH are less likely to spread germs.”

Simply put, with proper chemical treatment and CDC pool safety and COVID-19 guidelines being followed, there’s virtually zero cause for concern for prospective franchise owners thinking about an opportunity with ASP.

Steady and Continuous Growth Opportunities

We don’t think it can be stressed enough that the swimming pool industry is steadily growing, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of it slowing down. A BusinessWire and Technavio study projected that between 2020 and 2024, the swimming pool industry will grow by $3.56 billion.

A key sentiment most families can agree upon during the coronavirus outbreak is that staying at home is the safest place to be. Pool owners find it even more unnecessary to venture out for entertainment when they have it in their own backyards. Other individuals who feel more confident about leaving the house for activities contribute to the growth of the leisure industry and frequent recreational swimming pools for the summer. This means that our industry is in demand for prospective ASP franchise owners, even with the virus present.

No-Contact Nature of the Industry

Unlike many franchisors that thrive on the presence of customers and face-to-face interaction, pool cleaning franchises are, by nature, a no-contact business. Before the pandemic, no-contact service was not a part of or built into many companies like retail stores and restaurants. In fact, the hospitality and commerce industries felt the adverse effects of the virus because patrons weren’t frequenting their favorite local eateries or stores. According to McKinsey & Company, these abrupt changes have left many retailers scrambling to serve customers by other means and through other channels. Strictly e-commerce and omnichannel companies weren’t impacted much, as they had already been providing online or no-contact service from the beginning. The pool cleaning industry was already prepared, requiring zero face-to-face interaction with consumers and ensuring our business model could handle the influx of new clients during stay-at-home orders.

How ASP Is Protecting Franchise Owners from COVID-19

Even with things getting back to semi-normal, ASP still takes every precaution to ensure our franchise owners’ and customers’ safety.

The steps we have implemented to ensure a safe environment include:

• Ensuring everyone washes their hands thoroughly and frequently
• Recommending independently owned and operated franchise locations use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Staying home if anyone feels sick or thinks they may have come into contact with anyone who may have COVID-19
• Maintaining the appropriate six-feet distance when speaking face-to-face
• Wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) such as masks to help reduce the spread of the virus indoors

For franchise owners to adequately advise pool owners on minimizing the spread of COVID-19, we recommend informing them to follow the steps below.

1. Maintain proper water chemistry levels to protect against coronavirus.
2. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the pool environment.
3. Follow proper guidelines for healthy swimming.

If you’re ready to join a franchise network invested in owners and prepared to support you from the beginning, call us at (800) 734-7886 or contact us online.